Andrew Stimpson, 25, of Britain, tested positive for HIV in 2002 but after 14 months then tested negative for the virus in an unusual case that doctors plan to study further.
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Friday, November 18, 2005
LONDON (AP) — AIDS experts called for more tests on a British man who claims his body has rid itself of the virus that causes AIDS. Andrew Stimpson, 25, told two British newspapers that he tested positive for HIV in August 2002, but that tests 14 months later came back negative. He told the Mail on Sunday, “I can’t help wondering if I hold the cure for AIDS.” Stimpson also was interviewed by News of the World, which said it paid for the story — a common practice in Britain — but declined to reveal how much. The Mail on Sunday could not immediately be reached for comment. The Chelsea & Westminster Healthcare Trust, which conducted Stimpson’s HIV tests, confirmed he had had a positive test followed by a negative one, but would not say this meant he was cured. “This is a rare and complex case,” the hospital said in a statement. “When we became aware of Mr. Stimpson’s HIV-negative test results, we offered him further tests to help us investigate and find an explanation for the different results. So far Mr. Stimpson has declined this offer.” Stimpson told the Mail on Sunday he was happy to submit to further tests. “This appears to be a highly unusual case and without further tests it really is impossible to draw any conclusions for people living with HIV,” said Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust.
IWAMIZAWA, Japan — Scientists have found brain differences in male flies that are sexually oriented to other male flies, Nature.com reported. The gay flies are missing a small cluster of nerve cells in the brain, a fact discovered by Japanese researchers. Ken-Ichi Kimura of the Hokkaido University of Education in Iwamizawa points out, however, that fly-mating habits are quite different than those of humans, in addition to obvious differences between insect and human brains. Such discoveries in other species help scientists study the genetic and environmental factors that help animals choose mates. “This finding will provide insight for understanding how a sexual behavior is constructed in the circuitry of the brain through a function of single gene,” Kimura told Nature.com.
WASHINGTON — New research shows that people with HIV who receive anabolic steroids to combat AIDS wasting may achieve modest weight gain and muscle mass, Health Behavior News Service reported. A recent review of 13 studies of adults aged 24 to 42 who have HIV found that those who received anabolic steroids had an average weight gain of almost three pounds over six weeks or more. “The magnitude of weight gain observed may be considered clinically relevant,” lead author Karen Johns, a medical assessment officer from the agency Health Canada, told the news service. “One hopes there would be greater weight gain with the long-term use of anabolic steroids; however, this has not been proven to date in clinical trials.” AIDS wasting causes severe loss of weight and muscle and can lead to muscle weakness, organ failure and shortened lifespan in people with HIV. Anabolic steroids are synthetic and similar to testosterone; they assist in growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FDA wants condom packages to warn that condoms are less effective at stopping some sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes and human papilloma virus, than others. The agency also wants packaging to advise that condoms that use a common spermicidal lubricant should not be used by those engaged in conduct that risks transmission of HIV. Anal sex between men is considered high-risk sexual conduct. In proposed rules posted on its Web site, the Food & Drug Administration said the changes to male condom labels would provide people with more precise information on how well condoms work. They would apply to latex condoms, which make up about 98 percent of the market; rules for other condoms are forthcoming. Condom packages now generally note they are effective in reducing the chance of pregnancy and getting an STD, particularly HIV, from intercourse.
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